This invention relates to tape laying machines and methods of applying tape, and in particular to an apparatus and method for applying composite tape and. release-paper-adhering tape to the back side of a trim molding to be later installed on a vehicle. Also, the invention relates to an article including the molding and tapes as applied.
In the assembly of automobiles, it is common place to employ double sticky-sided composite tape along with plastic clips to attach body side trim moldings to the side of an automobile. The laying of the composite tape onto the trim molding has historically been done manually. However, the manual operation is time consuming and tedious, thus leading to high scrap rates and poor quality, particularly if the person laying the composite tape is not careful to lay down a straight line. Further, the composite tape includes a release paper on one side to protect the adhesive until application of the molding to the vehicle. However, the release paper can be relatively difficult to pick loose, and thus further waste assembly time.
Thus, an apparatus and method solving the aforementioned problems is desired.